Hurricane Season 2010: Tropical Storm 04B (Northern Indian Ocean)

NASA Infrared Satellite Instrument Catches Fourth Depression Form in Indian Ocean

Tropical Depression 04B formed in the Northern Indian Ocean and has quickly strengthened into a tropical storm today. The AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm 04B's cloud top temperatures as it was forming yesterday.

NASA's Aqua satellite's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument captured an image of then Tropical Depression 04B's cloud top temperatures on Oct. 20 at 18:35 UTC (2:35 p.m. EDT) and saw they had grown colder and higher than they were earlier in the day. Colder cloud tops indicate stronger convection that created those higher, stronger thunderstorms. Cloud top temperatures were as cold as or colder than -65 degrees Fahrenheit (-53 Celsius). Tropical Depression 04B remained over the eastern Bay of Bengal at the time of the image, and the heavy precipitation was all occurring over the open waters.

At 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) on Oct. 21, Tropical Storm 04B had maximum sustained winds near 45 knots (49 mph). It was located about 295 nautical miles south of Chittagong, Bangladesh, near 17.6 North and 91.9 East. It is moving northeast at 3 mph. It is in warm waters and the wind shear is light, so it is expected to strengthen quickly into a Cyclone.

It is expected to make landfall in Burma tomorrow, October 22, so preparations need to be made quickly.

Text Credit: Rob Gutro

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD